First aid kits generally contain items that are used as a means to quickly and effectively respond to accidents or injuries when away from traditional medical emergency facilities. Such kits are intended to be used either by the injured party or to aid someone else. These kits must be lightweight, portable, accessible, and must contain the necessary equipment to treat accidents or injuries that may occur based on the situation and environment. This is very critical for military or law enforcement environments, where the threat of accident or injury is high and access to medical treatment is very limited.
For example, military personnel are provided with individual first aid kits (IFAK) during times of military deployment. Such kits are typically housed in cloth bags or pouches and are worn on the outside of a uniform. Such IFAKs are intended to increase an individual soldier's capability to provide self-aid on the battlefield.
Current first aid kits are either carried on a belt strap, as a back pack with straps, or leg strap to allow for freedom of movement and access to the contents of the pouch. This often makes it difficult for the soldier or law enforcement officer to get to the contents of the pouch when only one hand is available.
Another shortfall of the current aid kits, is that during times of high stress and rapid combat deployment, it may be inadvertently left behind, as it is one more piece of equipment that a solider or enforcement officer must remember to attach to a uniform rather than having an alternative way to carry the kit until it can be reattached.
Typical protective vests are manufactured from “soft-armor” materials such as Kevlar® or other “bullet proof” materials and offer a level of protection to the wearer sufficient to offer protection in many situations. For the additional security required in today's military and law enforcement applications; however, soft armor is often insufficient against military munitions and shrapnel. Accordingly, many protective vests or body armor vests contain a series of external pockets on the front, back and sides of the vest for adding additional body armor such as metal or ceramic plates, also known as ballistic plates or hard armor. The plates are usually placed to cover particularly vulnerable parts of the body such as the heart, chest, and back regions, thereby providing protection to the vital organs.
The use of kits containing a select number of products appropriate for use in first aid conditions that attach to these plates or the exterior of body armor vests of military personnel, law enforcement and first responders are known in the prior art. However, these kits are often bulky and are made for attachment to the front of the user, taking up valuable space for tactical gear. Further, removal of these kits requires the use of both hands of the user.
As such, there is a need for a portable first-aid kit that can be mounted in a convenient location on the user and includes an easily accessible quick-release mechanism that allows the user access to medical supplies with only one hand. When finished, the current device also allows the user a means to quickly store the kit or a convenient way to carry the kit until the user has sufficient time to e-mount the kit to their person.